Indoor environments, health and well-being in cold climate

Basic requirements for healthy environments were well established before 1850 and implemented during the next 100 years as a vital condition for the remarkable improvements of general health and living standard in our welfare states.It is sad to observe that so much knowledge and wisdom seems to have evaporated during the last 50 years ! Humidity and microbiology are today involved in the main part of serious cases of indoor climate problems.Our societies must now, as pointed out by IPCC and the Kyoto Protocol, face the huge and vital challenge of bringing the future societal development over to a sustainable track of living at a global level.Sustainability requires a reduction of energy use in our countries by a factor of four on short sight and 10 on a longer perspective (2050). About 40 % of the total energy resources in our countries are now spent on controlling indoor environments.No ministry or interdepartmental body has so far taken responsability for this vital and important coordination task, at least not in Norway.The real challenge for the Minister of Environment is to take responsibility for this superior role as coordinator of all involved sectors necessary to achieve a sound sustainable indoor environment.